Dart games



A. M. HENRY March 20, 1956 DART GAMES `Filed April 28, 1953 wirf wml.

United States Patent() DART GAMES Augustus `M. Henry, Levittown, N. Y.

Application April 28, 1953, Serial No. 351,642-

s claims. (ci. 27s-Quiza) This invention relates to game apparatus, andmore particularly aims to providenew and useful improvements in gameapparatus of a kind having the popular appeal of a contest of skill inwhich a `contender attempts to direct a missile against a target in amanner to cause the missile to strike the latter, and further having apopular appeal because it will provide a contest having competitivefeatures suggestive of the game of baseball. A game apparatus of thekind toward the betterment of which the improvements of the instant.invention are especially well adapted is exemplified by the disclosuresof U. S. Patent No. 2,187,422, issued to me on January 16, 1940.

One principal object of the present invention is to provide a gameapparatus of the class indicated above, which is novel and valuable inthat it is of markedly simple and inexpensive nature.

Another principal object is to provide a game apparatus as aforesaid,and one so constructed and operating, that the missile employed may bean elongate one, such as a dart, and yet the provision is such that saidmissile, on striking the target-area defining opening, is ableinstantaneously to free itself from the target and target-area definingopening incidental to rebound of the said missile from the target afterstriking the latter. To insure such rebound, the dart employed may bethe type of dart customarily used in any of the multitude of differentdart-throwing games, but one from which the usual piercing spike iseliminated. According to the patent aforesaid, at the instant themissile despatched toward the target strikes the latter, there issubsantially simultaneously set up a relative movement between therespective bounds of two openings both ahead of the ytarget andmutuallyin registry at the instant the missile passes through both thereof onythe last stage of its travely toward the target. This lrelativemovement between oppositely facing edge portions of the said twoopenings is in a direction parallel to the plane' of the target face.The result is that when a dartl has heretofore been sought to 'be usedas the missile'to constitute the projectile object of play, there was ascissoring action as between the said two edge portions of the twoopenings, such that before the dart (with its spike eliminated) couldrebound from the target for thereby effecting self-ejection from thegame apparatus, said scissoring action occurred, and the dart would betransversely seized somewhere along its length tightly enough to entrapthe same and the games mechanism.

According to the instant invention, however, the arrangement is such atand adjacent to the target-area defining opening that the describedscissoring action is made impossible under any circumstances; andindeed, while a target area defining opening is provided in a planeparallel with the plane of the target face, and this opening is given amovement past the target face substantially simultaneously with thestriking of the target by a missile just previously travelling throughsaid f opening, this movement of said opening relative to the targetacts positively to assist the dart in its self-ejection from the gameapparatus incidental to its rebound from the target immediately onstriking the same.

Other objects, features and advantages of the instant invention willhereinbelow be pointed out or become obvious as the descriptionproceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a game constructed inaccordancewith the invention; 4

Fig. 2 is a side elevational-view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view of the rear of the game, showing the operatingmechanism, and

Fig. 4 is a view looking at the mechanism of Fig. 3 from the left, withparts shown in section to more clearly disclose the structure.

Referring to the drawing, 4 indicates the playing field `of the game,the same as here shown being substantially diamond shape to therebyrepresent a baseball diamond. It is provided with an indicium here shownas a tab-like extension 11, intended to represent a player in the roleof a base runner; and so is located at what is self-evident as the homeplate location, the said extension 11 being located at the positionshown in Fig. l each time that a player begins play.

The playing field dis a rotary structure secured on a .spindle 3 held ina suitable bearing carried by a suitable support, as one on orconstituting the base member 1 of the game apparatus. As here shown,such base member may consistof a suitable sheet of stift" material, suchas heavy cardboard, Masonte or metal, reinforced around its edges ifnecessary by a suitable frame 2.

Provided in the playing field 4 is a plurality of. round aperturesindicated respectively at 5, 6, 7 and 8. ln the form shown, theseapertures are graduated in diameter, from the larger aperture S to thesmaller aperture 8, although if desired, the apertures may be all madeof lthe same size, without departing from the spirit of the invention,although making the game easier to win.

At 10 is shown a plunger head constituting the target, the same being ofcircular shape and so located that at each halt in the 90 rotativemovements of the playing field 4, one or the other 'of the apertures 5to 8 inclusive will register with the disk-shaped plunger head 10. InFig. 1 the largest of the apertures, or that shown at 5, is vindicatedas being in register with the plunger head 10.

Secured on the spindle 3 to the rear of the base board lis a ratchetmember 15 provided with four teeth,` each The plunger head or disk 10 isfixed on one end ofr a shaft 9 which is axially slidable through thevbase member 1 and through the cross brace 14. A guide plate 17 isfastened to the rear or" the cross bracedtr and the shaft 9slidesthrough said guideplate when ay missile, such as a dart, entersthrough vthat one of the four apertures S to 8 which then lies oppositethe tar-- get 10 to act as a target area defining means, and forciblystrikesthe face of the disk-target 10.

Secured on the shaft 9 isa dog 18 which dog is normally heldin theposition shown in Fig. 3 and in which position it is in engagement withone of the teeth',

located between the outer face of the base member 1 and the rear of thetarget-disk plunger "10. 'One en'd of a coil spring 19 is attached to apin 20 projecting .from the dog, and the opposite end of the :spring .19is attached to an eyeletl22a secured.totand-projectiugfrom `thecrossbrace 14 as-clearly seen n'Fig. .3. Said spring 19 tends to hold .thedog18 in contact with a stoppin 21 projecting from theguidetplate 17.

Fromthe foregoing,-the operation of theggame `will be readilyunderstood. The torsional spring is placed `underteusiori by `manuallyrotating the playing lfield 4 in a clockwise direction, as viewedvinFig. l. When this `is done by aid'of the extension llasVa'rewind'handle, the ratchet 15 is rotated, -with the teeth V1(thereorieasily movingipast theldog lysince'the dog canpivot `as `required topermit of the passage of the teeth. .Rewinding is halted at a point rtocause the diamondshaped eld 4 to assume thepositionishown in Fig. 1,wherein thetlarge aperture 5 will befrelocated'in registration with thetarget-disk and'the .base `runner designative extension 11 will befin alowerniost .position -as shown so asto suggest a'batter 4-atthoin'eplate. Aplayer then stands oi from the game board for a re- The -clitninatedfrom its blunt forward end.

lf the player is fortunate enough tohit 'the target- `disk l1i) asexposed'through the aperture 5, the disk 10 and its attached shaft 9will be driven inwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and'sincethe'dog l18is -earriedby `the shaft 9, the dog will likewise be moved-inwardly and thus disengaged from thelowermost tooth 16 of the ratchet15. This will free the ratchet, and under the torsion of the spring '12,theratchetwill turn a quarter turn in the direction of the arrow i'nFig. `3, to bring the 'next tooth 16 in position to be engaged by thedog 18 as the dog is moved b'acktoitsformer position by urge of thespring 22.

`When the ratchet is moved for a quarter turn as just described, it willrotate the playingeld r4 through 90. That is to say, the base runnerindicating tab il will become located at the right hand'corner of thediamond at the tirst base-position. At the same time,

'the aperture `6 will now be positioned in registry with the target disk10, and since the aperture 6 is smaller in diameter than the apertureSand also smaller than the target 1i), it will be apparent that .thetarget has become reduced in size, makingit more dificultfor the `playerto hit the target 10 and for-the .runnertnow on first base to beadvanced to second base. When `the player is successful in striking thenow-reduced :target 10, the playing field will againberotatediforatquarter -turn, bringing 'the next -smallenaperture -7lbefore the target-disk 10, and advancing the base runner from tirstbase to second base. Again when 'the target Iis struck, the field willbe rotated for aquarter turn to bring the smalleraperture Si'n frontofthe target, thus further reducing the effective size of the targetarea, but now with the base runner `(the extension 11) "on third.

Variations and modifications are possible, andparts of thc improvementsmay be usedvwithout others.

As will be noted, the sheet member constituting the `playing field 4, byits own diamond shape, thatis, by the mere totality of its boundingedges, graphicallytsug gcsts tbe "infield" or playing diamond of abaseball field, whenever said sheet member isiat rest and consequentlywhen some one of its apertures 5, 6., 7 and S is in registry with -the`target 10. This result, moreover, istattained without having to paintLin or otherwise add, `on the front of either the sheetfmeniber `r4-.orthe v base member 1, base-lines such as shown in the aforesaid'PatentNo.2,l87,'422 to me.

In order to have the accompanying drawing as simple and at the same timeas clear as possible, the placement of the target 10 has been shown asunnecessarily upwardly-spaced from the location of the extension 11 ofthe sheet member 4 with the latter in game-starting position as in Fig.l. However, with the aperture 5 lowered on the sheet member 4 with thelatter in its last-named position sufficiently to bring the low point onthe periphery of saidopening at'about-the upper point of the triangularenclave of the extensionfll onto the front of the sheet member 4, andwith the target 10 correspondingly lowered, and with the apertures 6, 7and 8 each relocated to be registrable with the target 10, all four ofthe apertures 5, 6, 7 and 8 would be so close to the points of thediamond outline of the sheet member 4, as graphically to suggest, merelyiby their locations whenever said sheet member is at rest, ,the fourbase lpoints of a baseball 'field generallytreferred -to as home plate,irstbase, second'basetand third base.

What l claim is: t Y l. ln a game apparatus, amain supportVa diskthavinga shaft axially movable through the support, spring means for urging thedisk away `from the .supporbfor a limited distance, an intermittentlyrotated member rotatively mounted on the support vand located in frontof vthe disk, said rotary member 'having `a diamondshaped outline andprovided with a plurality foffopenings each of which represents a baseo'n :said diamond,

Aoneor the other of said openings being adapted to-reg ister with thedisk during each vpause in the rotative movements of the diamond-shapedmember, springactuated ratchet means for intermittently Vrotating `saiddiamond-shaped member, means carriediby sidshaft of the disk fornormallyrestraining the'ratchet meansfrom rotating the diamond-shapedmembensaid means onthe shaft being temporarily-rendered ineifective torestrain Athe ratchet means from rotating the diamond-shaped -membereach time that the Vdisk is moved toward the Asupport by a blow from athrownmissile entering through one-of the openings and striking the disk'sai'd'rliarn'ondshaped member beingat the extreme front 'of'the gameapparatus, the edge portion of the diamond-shaped rotary member aroundthe opening throughwhichthe missile thus passes being etective toprovidea wiping action to aid'in displacing the thrown missle'from saidopening.

2. In a game apparatus, a support, a target member 'mounted on thesupport, a shaft on said target member slidable axially `through thesupport, a Vspring'for urging the target member forwardly and in adirection away from the support, a rotative sheet member .having adiamond-shaped outline formed with spaced apertures adapted vto bepositioned in sequence in registry with sheet member, said means beingheld inoperative while the target member is urged forwardly "by thespringand rendered operative to rotate saidtsheet member fora .givendistance when the target/member is moved toward the support by a blowfrom a thrown missilefthe target member havinga marginal edge portionaround reach of lits aperturesto provide a wiping action againstaimissilc that has passed'throug'h saidfaperture, `tofthereby'reject thethrown missile from said opening :said .diamondshaped sheetmember beingat `the extreme 'front of tthe apparatus thus to beunimpededlyfoutintheopenithereby to adapt saidimissile to be `manuallythrown `through the air without itrajectory `limitations .thereon by@structural lcomponents of the apparatus. t A

3. In a game of the kind incorporating a target and means for yieldinglyurging said target to a forward position and for permitting rearwardmovement of the target in recoil thereof from the impact of a missilestriking thereagainst, said game also of the kind incorporating a targetarea deningrmeans in the form of a rotatably-mounted sheet member havinga plurality of openings and fractionally rotatable to move one of saidopenings from registry with the target and substitute another of saidopenings in registry with the target, said game also of the typeincorporating spring means eiective when wound to cause fractionalrotation of said sheet member in response to such a recoil of thetarget, as a new article of manufacture a sheet member as aforesaidwhich is substantially diamond shape in outline and adapted to bepivotally mounted with the axis of such pivot at the center of thediamond, which has four apertures each adjacent one of the four cornersof the diamond, and which at one corner of the diamond carries aprojection for facilitating manual rewind of said spring by a turning ofthe sheet member in the direction opposite to that in which it turnswhen rotated by said spring, whereby, with said sheet member the extremefrontal structure of the game, said missile may be a thrown dart with aforward end which is spikeless thus to make of an opening in the sheetmember through which said dart enters at the end of a throw thereof awiping ejector of the dart, and whereby, at the same time, saidprojection is always out in the open and so always in sight of a playerof the game visually to indicate during rotation of said sheet member anadvance of a gamepiece and so as also to be readily manually accessiblefrom the front of the game to facilitate use thereof for rewinding thespring.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,500McCullough June 6, 1899 986,683 Bugbee Nov. 14, 1911 1,121,945 SmithDec. 22, 1914 1,212,943 Hart Jan. A16. 1917 1,535,918 Hoffman Apr. 28,1925 2,109,860 Dahlstrom Mar. 1, 1938 2,187,422 Henry Jan. 16, 19402,251,757 Rose Aug. 5,V 1941 t 2,486,860 Memmel Nov. 1, 1949 2,552,446OConner May 8, 1951 2,578,375 Sire Dec. 11, 1951

